Assisted Living Investing

What happens when you can't find an assisted living community you would trust with your own parent?For Gregg Vass, that question became personal.After his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Gregg began searching for the right memory care community. But after touring facility after facility, he realized something was missing. The environments felt institutional, the care models were stretched, and none of the options truly felt like home.That's when Gregg discovered Brett's content.What started as a search for better care for his mother turned into an entirely new entrepreneurial journey. Gregg and his business partner went down the rabbit hole of assisted living, real estate, RAL investing, and the Luxury Assisted Living model—eventually deciding to take action and build their own memory care community: Palmstone Memory Care.In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Brett sits down with Gregg to discuss how a viewer of Mansion Builders content went from watching the journey to becoming a Mansion Builder himself.Gregg shares the deeply personal experience that motivated him, what he discovered about the current assisted living and memory care industry, and the steps he took to begin developing his own Luxury Assisted Living project in the Rockford, Illinois area.If you've ever looked at the assisted living industry and thought, **"There has to be a better way to do this,"** this episode is for you.Whether you're interested in Assisted Living Investing, residential assisted living, real estate, residential assisted living, memory care, senior housing, healthcare real estate, or building a luxury assisted living business**, Gregg's story shows what can happen when you identify a problem, take initiative, and commit to finding a solution.This is 'Part 1 of a two-part interview with Gregg Vass of Palmstone Memory Care'.In Part 2, we'll dive deeper into the development process, the business model, the numbers, and what it really takes to bring a Luxury Assisted Living community to life.👇 Interested in building your own Assisted Living Mansion?Learn more about becoming a Mansion Builder and see whether this model could be the right fit for you. Reach out to our team and book a call to discuss your opportunity:httpsbit.lyassistedlivinginvestingspotify ---⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – The question that started Gregg's journey01:01 – How Gregg's mother inspired everything01:57 – Searching for the right memory care community02:29 – Why existing facilities didn't feel like home03:08 – The problem with institutional senior care04:18 – Staffing ratios and the care challenge04:37 – Touring memory care communities in Rockford, Illinois04:57 – Paying up to $15,000 per month for memory care06:21 – "Why don't I just build my own?"06:37 – Gregg's entrepreneurial background07:18 – Discovering Brett and the Mansion Builder model08:14 – Visiting the Assisted Living Mansions in Texas08:58 – From viewer to taking action10:26 – Why smaller homes can change memory care10:44 – Breaking ground on Palmstone Memory Care11:09 – The journey from idea to development12:16 – Finding the right land13:08 – Understanding zoning and land requirements13:45 – Navigating the special use permit process15:03 – Why assisted living can be a great neighbor16:04 – The importance of market research before buying land17:01 – Inside Palmstone's 9-acre development site17:32 – How to keep land under contract during development19:08 – How Palmstone secured more time to move the project forward19:34 – Adapting the Mansion Builder plans for Illinois20:30 – Designing for snow, weather, and local building codes22:10 – HVAC, offices, and customizing the model23:19 – Why starting with a proven model saves time24:10 – Why the Mansion Builder community matters

Most new Residential Assisted Living (RAL) investors think the biggest risk is finding the wrong property.It isn't.One of the biggest mistakes is moving forward on land before you fully understand your due diligence, zoning, financing, entitlements, permits, and—most importantly—how to get your money back if the deal doesn't work.In this episode, Brett Chotkevys breaks down how experienced Assisted Living Mansion investors approach land acquisition so they can move fast without putting massive amounts of capital at risk.Brett walks through the exact process his teams use when evaluating land for new construction assisted living and memory care projects—including how to structure offers, protect your earnest money deposit, negotiate due diligence periods, build contingencies into your contract, and recognize when it's time to walk away.You'll learn why the first piece of land you make an offer on may not be the one you ultimately build on—and why having the ability to get your deposit back and move on to the next opportunity can be one of your biggest advantages as a real estate investor.In This Episode, You'll Learn:• How to make offers on land without unnecessarily risking your capital• Why due diligence is critical when buying land for assisted living• How to protect your earnest money deposit• The difference between "hard" and "soft" deposits• How long you should try to negotiate for due diligence• Why extension periods can be incredibly valuable• How zoning, entitlements, permits, utilities, environmental studies, and drainage can kill a deal• When and why you may want to renegotiate the purchase price• How financing contingencies can protect you• The difference between a short-term land loan and long-term construction financing• How long escrow can give you time to get your plans, permits, bids, and financing together• Why sometimes the smartest move is to cancel the contract and come back later• How to make multiple offers while protecting your ability to move on to the next propertyIf you're serious about building a Residential Assisted Living (RAL), memory care facility, or Assisted Living Mansion, the land you choose can determine whether your project succeeds—or becomes an expensive mistake.Ready to explore your market and see if an Assisted Living Mansion could work in your area?👉 Book a call with our team and learn how we help investors navigate the process from land acquisition through development.httpsbit.lyassistedlivinginvestingspotify ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – How to move fast without losing money00:26 – The land acquisition strategy for Mansion Builders01:29 – The due diligence checklist02:41 – Market research, zoning & talking to the city03:08 – Finding the right real estate agent03:53 – Setting up your business entity04:35 – Earnest money & financing considerations05:36 – How to determine your offer price06:35 – Why due diligence creates opportunities to renegotiate07:55 – The most important part: your deposit08:25 – When does your deposit become non-refundable?09:02 – Why most land deals don't make it through due diligence10:00 – How long should your due diligence period be?10:32 – Using extensions to protect your deal11:40 – Contract contingencies that can protect your money12:02 – Financing & entitlement contingencies13:05 – Why you need an "out"13:24 – When to walk away from a land deal15:30 – How are you going to finance the property?16:09 – Short-term financing vs. SBA construction financing16:25 – Using a long escrow period18:02 – Plans, permits, construction bids & appraisals19:13 – The land acquisition process recap19:57 – How to avoid losing massive amounts of money20:21 – Take massive action—but give yourself a way out20:24 – Want help finding land for your RAL?

The wrong piece of land can cost you years, hundreds of thousands of dollars, and potentially kill your assisted living project before you ever break ground.So how do you know if a piece of land is actually worth pursuing?In this episode, I breaks down the exact process his teams use when looking for land for assisted living and memory care projects.From acreage and property shape to zoning, utilities, parking, drainage, and even properties with old mobile homes or houses — you'll learn how to quickly identify potential opportunities without falling in love with the wrong piece of dirt.Brett also explains why starting with a broader search can dramatically increase your opportunities and why checking utilities and zoning before making an offer can save you from an expensive mistake.In this episode, you'll learn:How much land you should look for when building an assisted living mansionWhy 1 acre is a good rule of thumb for one 10,000 sq. ft. mansionHow land shape can matter just as much as acreageWhy Brett recommends thinking about a 200 × 200 ft boxHow to account for parking, setbacks, drainage, and utilitiesWhere to search for land using Zillow, LoopNet, Crexi, and other platformsWhy you shouldn't overlook properties with mobile homes or older housesHow zoning and city GIS maps can help you eliminate bad propertiesWhy utility access can completely change the economics of a dealHow to create broader land searches so you don't miss the right opportunityThe 3 biggest mistakes investors make when searching for assisted living landHow to approach cities, planning & zoning, fire marshals, and utility departments before making an offerThe goal isn't to find any piece of land.The goal is to find the RIGHT piece of land before you spend serious money on architects, engineers, financing, or construction.If you're looking to build an assisted living facility, memory care community, or assisted living mansion, this is a process you need to understand before you start making offers.👉 Want help finding and evaluating the right market and land for your assisted living project? Learn more and connect with the Assisted Living Investing team:https://bit.ly/assistedlivinginvesting⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Welcome to Assisted Living Investing00:20 — What today's land-search episode is about00:49 — How we evaluate hundreds of land opportunities01:09 — Why finding the right land is so important01:57 — Understanding the Assisted Living Mansion model02:49 — How much land do you need?03:09 — Setbacks, parking & site requirements04:08 — The smallest properties we've made work04:37 — Planning for multiple assisted living mansions05:17 — Building a full assisted living neighborhood06:08 — Why the SHAPE of the land matters06:49 — The 200 × 200 ft land rule07:33 — Parking and designing for a luxury experience08:17 — Why land can impact your bed rates08:55 — How we actually search for land09:07 — Residential vs. commercial land09:13 — Talking to cities about zoning10:03 — Zillow, LoopNet, Crexi & land searches10:41 — How to build your land-search criteria11:50 — Why you should search for mobile homes13:08 — Searching for existing houses & redevelopment opportunities14:51 — The 3 biggest land-search mistakes15:46 — Mistake #2: Buying the wrong shape of land16:33 — Mistake #3: Ignoring utilities17:40 — Why the more expensive property can be cheaper17:52 — The land-search process from start to finish18:13 — Using city GIS maps18:53 — Turning a property into your due diligence exercise19:34 — How to know when you've found the right land19:47 — Want help with your assisted living project?20:00 — See you on the next episode

The biggest mistake in Real Estate Assisted Living may happen BEFORE you ever buy the land.The zoning.In this episode, Brett breaks down how the right zoning can dramatically change the profitability and scalability of an assisted living investment—and why buying the wrong piece of land can leave you stuck with limited bed counts, unnecessary expenses, and months of wasted time.Brett shares the exact process he uses when evaluating land for Real Estate Assisted Living, including how he approaches planning and zoning departments, what questions he asks, how he evaluates alternative zoning options, and how he uses GIS mapping systems to quickly screen potential properties.You'll learn why he shifted away from residential zoning, how commercial zoning can open the door to larger assisted living developments, and how one successful zoning decision can potentially create the foundation for an entire assisted living community.In this episode, you'll learn:• Residential vs. commercial zoning for assisted living• Why bed-count limitations can dramatically affect profitability• How to approach your city's Planning & Zoning department• The questions Brett asks before committing to a property• How to identify alternative zoning options• Special-use permits and zoning changes• How long zoning approval can take—and why timelines matter• Why you should avoid accepting a "maybe" from the city• How GIS maps can help you evaluate land quickly• How to find land with the right zoning and utilities• How one property can potentially become a larger assisted living development⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Why zoning could make or break your assisted living deal01:00 – Residential vs. commercial zoning02:00 – Why Brett stopped looking at residential zoning03:00 – Thinking bigger with assisted living development04:00 – The 16-bed model and scaling your investment05:00 – Step 1: Talk to Planning & Zoning06:00 – Step 2: Tell the city exactly what you're building07:00 – Step 3: Find out what zoning "box" you fit into08:00 – Finding alternative zoning opportunities09:00 – Understanding zoning timelines and red flags10:00 – Why you should research multiple cities11:00 – Using GIS maps to find the right land12:00 – Common zoning mistakes investors make13:00 – Why you need a hard YES or NO14:00 – Think bigger with your assisted living investment15:00 – Book a call with the team📞 Want Help Evaluating an Assisted Living Opportunity?Have a piece of land you're considering for Real Estate Assisted Living?Book a call with our team. We look at assisted living opportunities and land across the country and can help you think through the initial questions before you move forward.👉 Book a call:httpsbit.lyassistedlivinginvestingspotify Subscribe to the channel for more content on assisted living investing, real estate investing, development, zoning, and building long-term wealth through assisted living.

Choosing the right land is critical for assisted living investing. Learn how location and size impact your investment success.Selecting the correct plot of land determines the long-term viability of your commercial property project. In this session, I explain the specific factors you must evaluate before purchasing any land for your facility. If you are serious about real estate investment in the senior care sector, understanding how to analyze raw land is your first step toward a profitable build.I break down why location is the primary driver of occupancy and how property size dictates your facility's capacity. By applying these standards to your site selection criteria, you can avoid costly mistakes during the acquisition phase of your assisted living investing journey. Proper planning now prevents operational limitations later.Subscribe for weekly real estate investment breakdowns, and comment below with your biggest questions about site selection.👇 Ready to learn how to build your first Assisted Living Mansion?Book a strategy call with our team to learn how our proven blueprint can help you launch and scale your assisted living business.Book your call here:httpsbit.lyassistedlivinginvestingspotify ⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Welcome to Assisted Living Investing00:03 – Why finding the right land matters00:39 – How Brett's team evaluates hundreds of properties01:09 – Why the wrong land can affect your business for years01:57 – What an Assisted Living Mansion requires02:49 – How much land do you need?04:37 – Land requirements for multiple mansions05:17 – A 7.6-acre, 4-mansion example06:08 – Why the shape of the land matters06:49 – The 200' × 200' rule of thumb07:33 – Parking and creating a luxury residential feel08:55 – How to actually search for land09:07 – Talk to planning and zoning first09:54 – Searching Zillow, LoopNet & Crexi10:39 – How to set up your land searches11:50 – Why you should search for mobile homes13:08 – Looking at single-family properties14:51 – The 3 biggest land-search mistakes14:54 – Mistake #1: Starting too small15:46 – Mistake #2: Choosing the wrong-shaped property16:30 – Mistake #3: Ignoring utilities16:56 – The million-dollar utility problem17:52 – The land-search process from start to finish18:53 – Turning a property into a due diligence exercise19:34 – Why you need to practice before finding "the one"19:47 – Want help finding the right land?20:00 – See you on the next episodeReady to find your assisted living opportunity?If you're looking to build an assisted living or memory care facility and want help evaluating your market, land, financing, construction, and overall strategy, connect with the Assisted Living Mansion team.Don't make a multi-million-dollar land decision based on excitement. Make it based on due diligence.